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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681679">Marked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areneth/pseuds/carter-sg-1'>carter-sg-1 (Areneth)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Diplomatic Mishaps [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Voyager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:08:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areneth/pseuds/carter-sg-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a bit of random fluff and crack - result of a prompt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chakotay &amp; Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Diplomatic Mishaps [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2216850</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Marked</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The transporter beam had barely finished the re-materialisation process yet ensign Munroe could tell she was being dismissed just by meeting the steely glare of the First officer. She was experienced and wise enough to refrain from commenting the appearance of the three new arrivals and left - ASAP.</p><p>The only sound in the room upon her exit was the loud breathing of one very ticked off First officer. </p><p>"Chakotay." The captain tried, slurring his name only a little as she leaned on the nearest vertical surface — Lt. Ayala — for support.</p><p>Chakotay closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself "No. Don't talk to me right now… or in the near future."</p><p>"But..."</p><p>"No! Just… report to Sickbay. Ayala," he added, making a brief eye contact with the lieutenant "you're with her. Explaining this to Tuvok will be difficult enough as is."</p><p>Transporter room doors swooshed open releasing him into the corridor and onto unsuspecting population of the ship.</p><p>The Captain was close on his heels. Well, as close as she could get balancing on one heel. Her other shoe, sans the heel was clutched in the commander's hand. Ayala was serenely trailing along. He had long ago learned not to take sides in the command team disputes.</p><p>"Commander!"</p><p>The Captain tried her obey or die voice… nothing. His longer feet had already carried him away from her current walking range. She stomped her foot shooting a stink eye at Ayala who was close enough to catch her should she stumble, but far enough to be out of her immediate range.</p><p>"Fine!" Janeway huffed hobbling along the wall toward the turbolift. </p><p>"Sickbay."</p><p>Good thing the turbolift was close to the main entrance, Ayala decided as he watched the captain's — obviously painful — trip down the brief stretch of the hallway. He knew better then to offer help.</p><p>"Computer, activate… " she winced, putting too much weight on the tender ankle joint. "activate the EMH."</p><p>The air shimmered briefly as the Doctor materialised.</p><p>"Please state… Good grief! What happened Captain?" he said rushing over to help her on the first available biobed.</p><p>"Did you walk to Sickbay? Lieutenant!".</p><p>"I'm fine." the Captain interrupted. "Lieutenant you can go."</p><p>She tried waving off Doctor's initial concern lying down on the bed indicating with her hand he could start a preliminary scan.<br/>
Ayala moved away from the biobed but did not leave the sickbay, choosing to stand guard near the door.</p><p>"I just twisted my heel." </p><p>Captain's overall appearance contradicted her statement. The missing shoe aside, her dress was torn in a number of places, her knuckles scratched and a bruise was forming, marring the too pale skin of her left shoulder. In addition to all of that her palms were covered in a neon-yellow substance of unknown origin.</p><p>The Doctor's eyebrow went up with the beeping noises the tricoder made as he scanned the captain.</p><p>"I don't think I have to ask why." he said administering a detox hypo before reaching for an osteo-regenerator and an analgesic.</p><p>"I'll have you know I… tripped...over commodore… commoner… der… over Chakotay." she slurred as the medicine started to take hold. </p><p>"Just how much have you had to drink Captain?"</p><p>The Doctor looked up as no further answer was forthcoming from his patient "Captain!".</p><p>Ayala decided it was safe to contribute "The Captain has had only one drink. Seeing how potent it was, the Commander abstained from drinking. The ensuing ceremony… ended… spectacularly." He looked at the snoring captain "and abruptly. We were asked to leave."</p><p>"Is the Commander all right? Why hasn't he reported to Sickbay?"</p><p>"The Commander did not sample any drinks, he is currently smoothing over the diplomatic faux pas the Captain inadvertently caused due to her… inebriation."</p><p>"Dare I ask?"</p><p>"I'd rather you didn't - I think it's best I leave the Commander to explain it. Just make sure to scan and remove all of the neon jelly from the Captain's hands before he sees her again."</p><p>With that Ayala turned on his heel and left the Sickbay.</p><p>The Doctor lifted his brow before running a second scan over the Captain's hands. The jelly was non-toxic but contained traces of what appeared to be tree sap and bio luminescent resin. </p><p>In the end it proved very difficult to remove.</p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>An hour later the captain escaped the sickbay having reached a compromise with the Doctor - she would report later that evening for the second detox hypo and checkup in exchange for a release to her quarters. In her haste to leave she had opted to leave in the sickbay gown and slippers. Anything to get away from the inquisitive Doctor.</p><p>She had made it as far as the turbolift when she noticed Chakotay making his way down the opposite end of the corridor towards Sickbay. He had apparently had a chance to change into uniform at some point after the away mission which could only mean that the diplomatic disaster had been avoided. His face, however, was telling a different story.</p><p>"Chakota..."</p><p>"Don't!"</p><p>He passed her not stopping to check on her. Which was odd in itself, especially in light of her attire and could only mean that he was still very angry with her.</p><p>"Commander!"</p><p>He didn't even slow down! The second time that day.</p><p>"How long are you going to be pouting about it?"</p><p>....nothing. She shuffled in his wake, concentrating on her feet and trying not to lose the flimsy slippers along the way.</p><p>"Come on, I wasn't THAT drunk!"</p><p>In retrospect she really should have been watching where she was going, she decided - as she ran smack dab into a wall of muscle that was her first officer's back.</p><p><i>*oomph*</i> </p><p>He swung around grabbing her by the elbow just in time to stop her from tumbling down. </p><p>His face was suddenly very close to her nose. His... bio-luminous cheek faintly glowing in the semi darkness created as his bulk partially obscured the hallway light.</p><p>"Kathryn, you painted my face with the sacred … neon dye."</p><p>"Well yes but I..."</p><p>He wouldn't let her continue "You caused a diplomatic incident by ignoring the First Consul's plea to stop - claiming you couldn't do so..."</p><p>"In my defe..."</p><p>"Claiming," he talked over her "you couldn't do so because I was vitally important and had to therefore be marked."</p><p>He released her elbow and apparently her angry tongue.</p><p>"But you ARE important!" she exclaimed loudly, too loudly. </p><p>She absentmindedly noted that Chakotay was doing an awesome impression of a gold fish.</p><p>Had she really said that out loud? </p><p>"You are important to me! You're important to this ship."</p><p>She really needed that second detox hypo.</p><p>Chakotay was looking at her oddly.</p><p>She noted that his eyebrows were on their way to join his hair line. The left one having completely blended in with his tattoo. </p><p>"You really have lovely eyebrows. I especially love the left one - which is at the moment trying to join your tattoo. And speaking of your tattoo - I've always wanted to ask you about the meaning behind the lines joining the..."</p><p>She suddenly stopped, clamping her a hand over her mouth. Panic settling in. She froze, not daring to open her mouth.</p><p>Her eyes pleaded with Chakotay but he was already on it.</p><p>Picking her up he raced towards the Sickbay.</p><p>"Doctor!" he shouted depositing Kathryn on the main biobed. She still had her mouth clamped shut.</p><p>"Ah Commander! I was about to … " the EMH started, entering the main sickbay. </p><p>Chakotay cut him off "Quickly!".</p><p>The Doctor rushed once he saw who the commander had brought in "Captain." </p><p>He scanned her noting no difference, apart from the slightly elevated heart rate and blood pressure, in her current readings and the one he had taken before her original hasty departure from the sickbay. Well that and the fact that the Captain was apparently close to having a panic attack if the adrenaline spike was any indication.</p><p>Realising that nothing would be forthcoming from the Captain the Doctor turned to Chakotay "What seems to be the problem Commander?" </p><p>Chakotay looked at Kathryn, silently asking if he should proceed. She hesitated a moment before nodding her acquiescence. </p><p>"It seems as though the Captain is — at the moment — unable to filter her… verbalisation." </p><p>The EMH gave him an odd look.</p><p>"She says anything that comes to her mind… anything and everything."</p><p>To his credit the Doctor abstained from a witty remark, running an additional scan on the Captain.</p><p>"Hmm, it is most likely a residual side-affect of the inebriation. The drink might have acted as a truth serum." he mused. </p><p>Noticing her blood pressure rising again he added "Captain please try to relax, all of your other readings are all within acceptable parameters. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the second detox shot yet, the first one must run it's course." </p><p>Chakotay could see that Kathryn was not at all happy with this proposed course of inaction. Preempting a potential barrage that would make things awkward between her and the Doctor in the near future he cut in "Is there nothing else you can do?"</p><p>Kathryn gratefully squeezed his hand.</p><p>"I am afraid not Captain." the Doctor said directly to Kathryn, realising it was her asking the question. "I am unwilling to introduce additional chemicals into your bloodstream until the current treatment runs it's course. This should take 5 hours at most." </p><p>Upon seeing her pained look he offered "You can however stay in your quarters until then if you would be more comfortable. I will ask the crew to reroute all communication through Commander Chakotay."</p><p>Kathryn nodded reluctantly.</p><p>Chakotay squeezed her hand back to check if she was really OK with the Doctor's plan. </p><p>She nodded again before sliding down from the biobed and heading towards the exit.</p><p>Chakotay was about to follow her out of the Sickbay when the Doctor stopped him pointing to his face "That however cannot wait. If it sets any further, it will be permanent."</p><p>The Commander had completely forgotten about the neon paint in light of Kathryn's "plight." Sighing he returned and settled on the recently vacated biobed, the Captain in tow.</p><p>It was Kathryn's turn to stand next to his side. While her lips were resolutely clamped shut her eyes were quietly asking if he wanted her to stay.</p><p>"No, it's fine. You go to your quarters."</p><p>Her hand gave him a gentle squeeze.</p><p>"I am sure, I'll check in on you a bit later. Type if you need anything."</p><p>She raised her eyebrow.</p><p>"Yes I will check in with Tuvok and bring you the incident report."</p><p>The eyebrow stayed up, her hand reaching up to gently touch his cheek.</p><p>Chakotay sighed and gave her a small grin covering her hand with his own "No, I am not still angry with you about the paint.".</p><p>Kathryn grinned back and nodded. Apparently satisfied that all would be well she turned to leave, nodding at the Doctor as she passed him on her way out of the sickbay.</p><p>The Doctor had, for his part, been discretely observing the exchange. It was quite fascinating, this, non-verbal communication between the command duo. Despite the Captain staying quiet throughout the exchange, she and the Commander had apparently had no trouble communicating complex ideas. This had not been the first time he had noticed this sort of peculiar behaviour.</p><p>The EMH quickly made a note to himself to write a paper on non-verbal communication to his research subroutine before advancing towards his next patient with the dermal regenerator.</p><p>"This will sting a quite a bit." </p><p>The grin slipped from Commander's face.</p><p>**</p>
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